The 8 North Center for the Arts at 8 N. Fort Thomas Ave. has a new role as a home for improv comedy. Improv Northern Kentucky, known as INK, opened in May 2026 inside the center, offering classes, workshops, corporate events and live performances to Campbell, Kenton and Boone counties.
INK is based in the 8 North Center for the Arts. As Cincinnati CityBeat reports, INK was incorporated on May 28, 2026. The Village Players of Fort Thomas identifies the venue as the 8 North Center for the Arts.
A Covington Arts Center’s History
The Carnegie says Covington residents saved its former library from potential demolition in 1974 and made it a nonprofit community arts center.
INK adds a dedicated improv venue and training program on the Kentucky side of the river. The Greater Cincinnati improv scene had remained north of the Ohio River, according to CityBeat.
How the Founders Built a Northern Kentucky Improv Hub
The group’s roots go back to Northern Kentucky University. The CityBeat report states that co-founders Charley Roetting and Warren Bryson, along with leadership council members Bethany Pike and Derek Shipman, all attended NKU. LINK nky notes that they began talking about a Northern Kentucky improv hub years ago. Roetting and Bryson later decided to formally bring improv to the region; together, the four bring 50 years of collective improv experience.
Roetting's own résumé illustrates the artistic pedigree behind the venture. He is an acting and improvisation instructor, with a BFA from Northern Kentucky University and an MFA in Acting for Film from the New York Film Academy, plus formal improv certifications from Upright Citizens Brigade and iO West. His improv work has included Ohio, Dallas and New York City.
INK says it aims to make improv accessible to beginners while supporting artists, students and audiences. The organization also sees improv training as a way to develop confidence, communication, creativity and adaptability. Its stated goal is to build a community around both learning and performance.
Classes, Community Jams and a Free Launch at the Coffee Shop Across the Street
INK held its first public event on June 18, 2026, at Fort Thomas Coffee, according to Behind the Curtain Cincinnati. The theater now offers four course levels — Improv Fundamentals 101, Character and Game 201, Advanced Scene Work 301, and Advanced Performance 401 — building toward live comedy shows, community jams, youth improv programs and corporate events.
For newcomers who want to test the waters, INK offers an introductory improv course.
A Halloween Horror Show Built From Audience Suggestions
INK's flagship recurring production, the Made-Up Movie Players, returns this fall with “MUMPs: The Made-Up Halloween Horror,” featuring eight paid improv performers who build a horror film live from audience suggestions and classic genre tropes. The show runs every Thursday and Friday in October 2026, according to CrowdWork.
A holiday follow-up, “MUMPS: The Made-Up Holiday Classic,” is planned for December 2026 with a newly assembled cast. Roetting said the seasonal shows are designed as an easy entry point for new people to experience INK. The company also plans to expand into podcasts, sketches, livestreams and other media production down the line.
Sharing a Stage With Tradition — and Joining the Regional Festival Circuit
INK's growth has already stretched beyond its own walls. The Village Players of Fort Thomas' 2026–2027 mainstage season, which includes Christopher Durang's comedy “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” in late September 2026, shares the same 8 North stage that hosts four mainstage plays a year, according to the Village Players of Fort Thomas. INK was also slated to perform alongside Cincinnati musical improv team Hot Mic at OTRimprov's IF Cincy festival in October 2026, a Cincinnati improv festival, per OTRimprov.
With a founding team rooted in Northern Kentucky University and a calendar stretching from horror-comedy in October to holiday parody in December, INK has positioned itself as a stage and training ground for Northern Kentucky.
